On student creativity
If essays could be centered on a student's own creative style, then I believe they would enjoy and improve more in their writing. Teachers just sit their students down and tell them that there is a specific way to write. Students are told that if they don't meet a certain criteria in writing, then they aren't good enough writers and must keep trying until they meet the standards.
There is no reason for us to hold these kids back by holding them to that dull standard.
I remember having a deep desire to write as a kid after my fifth-grade teacher had us write poems and read them aloud to the class. That assignment allowed me to think creatively and express a writing style that was unique to me. I felt like my writing was important to my audience.
I was so involved in writing until high school. That was when formal writing became more important to teach about. My teachers pushed us to write based on standardized outlines that they created. What used to be a relaxing subject became a package of stress-induced anxiety due to my papers never meeting my teachers' high expectations.
I believe structured writing isn't more important than creative writing. If we allow students to improve their own unique style and let them come up with some of their own writing prompts, then the stress will die and their love for writing will increase as long as there is a balance within the writing class.
JONAH RUDKIN
Maumelle
For peace, not revenge
I read the amazing piece in Friday's Democrat-Gazette by Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, founder of Intentional Insights. Instead of giving in to the immediate emotion of revenge after a heinous crime like the one in Brussels, he says, U.S. citizens would be safer from terrorists like ISIS by cooling down and thinking out better strategies.
When political leaders call for demonizing Muslims and threaten to ban them from entering our country, they are appealing to our fear and desire for revenge and making us far less safe. Besides insulting millions of peaceful people, they are recruiting more angry young men to ISIS, just as ISIS wants. When we react with revenge, we give the terrorists control of our foreign policy. With thought, we might find more peaceful solutions than sending weapons to the war-torn Middle East.
Malala Yousafzai, recovering from her terrorist-inflicted head wound, had this advice: "With guns you can kill terrorists, with education you can kill terrorism." Could schools (and jobs) work better than bombs?
The writer might also suggest urging Congress to fund our institutions that are working for prevention and conflict resolution in the world such as the Complex Crises Funds in the State Department and the U.S. Institute of Peace. While we are spending over half a trillion dollars on military solutions, these peacekeeping groups are only asking for a few million. And they might make us safer than bombs.
JEAN T. GORDON
Little Rock
The return of Bubba
So Bubba is back. Once again John Brummett entertained the Voices page readers by recently reciting his supposed country-boy dialogue with Bubba McCoy, his proclaimed East Arkansas buddy.
Through the voice of Bubba, Brummett provides a rare glimpse of conservative common sense that is otherwise frequently absent from his columns. Some folks have even dared suggest that Brummett himself might be a closet conservative cloaked in liberal clothing who only portrays himself as a leftist on the Voices page to provide journalistic balance in exchange for well-deserved remuneration.
If so, Brummett would not be the first or last person to get paid to say what some listeners want to hear. Doesn't scripture record that once there was a mercenary prophet named Balaam who considered selling his prophetic denunciations to a bidder seeking his services? And who can overlook the current crop of blabbering presidential candidates who apparently will say just about anything about anybody at any time?
Regardless of Mr. Brummett's motives in resurrecting Bubba's colorful common-sense viewpoints, some readers are probably appreciative that plain-spoken Bubba is back again, for now at least.
BILLY BOOTH
Hazen
What humanizes us
Philip Martin's column rattled me on March 27. Philip says he sweated through his shirt and felt tears welling while watching his dog Paris when she trapped her paw. Can you imagine why there are special medical and psychological treatments for PTSD? Why trained soldiers with strict disciplines are returning only a shell of themselves?
Just to set the record straight, some aspects of humans include being social/sociable, having the capacity of higher reasoning and problem-solving, and knowing right from wrong. Murder is definitely anti-social deficient reasoning and problem-solving. It is wrong.
If managing terror is what makes us human, and if we can "intellectualize the threat and anticipate relief," why are we, i.e., global citizens, adults and children, being terrorized as mass murders continue? Should a burn victim intellectualize what she feels when looking in the mirror? What relief can she anticipate? How does a child handle hearing of men flying planes through mommy's workplace, and she will not be home? What do you call those who beat, choke, shoot, burn and kill women and children anywhere?
If these terrorists are "rational and sober actors looking to exploit our fears," and if managing terror makes us human, I believe bullying should not just be punishable in our schools, but all over the world. A human(e) race would be fearless about calling terror and terrorists what they are--murderers--and not excusing them in the first place.
DEBORAH WILHELM
Little Rock
The pay they deserve
"Good afternoon, I will be your server today, how're you guys? I'm doing all right, what can I get you guys to drink?"
This is the beginning to my basic server script I created, imprinted in my mind. I am a server at a barbecue restaurant in Little Rock. I could go through 30 tables on a good day, or zero on a bad one. Through all tables I encounter, I express my service with high-quality manners and a smile, although usually I don't receive the same treatment.
By this I mean I will not receive a tip, which pains me, considering I work on a server wage.
Working on a server wage is unrewarding. I am paid $2.68 an hour, not including tips. Average that out to a four-hour shift four days a week, and include the taxes and tip-outs to other employees, and that will leave the average server with jack squat. This leaves the responsibility of server pay to the customer.
Show appreciation to your next server by giving them the pay they deserve. Yes, appreciation does come in a "thank you," but a thank-you can't pay rent.
Think about the treatment to your next server, look at the effort he puts toward your meal, and assess that he is still trying to earn his pay, which he definitely cannot achieve based off server wage alone.
"Thank you, and have a good rest of the night. Come back soon!"
CHASE MICHAEL TAGGART
Little Rock
Where fence belongs
Build a fence around Donald Trump. I'll pay for it.
KAREN L. PORTER
Conway
Editorial on 04/07/2016